


Eyes of Stone Observe The Trends

by goddess_julie



Series: More/Everything [13]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Break Up, F/M, Genderswap, girl!Zayn, girl!direction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-03 06:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2842037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_julie/pseuds/goddess_julie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn thought that she and Danny were doing well.  It appears that he doesn't feel the same way and breaks up with her.  Instead of texting Louis like she meant to, she gets Liam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eyes of Stone Observe The Trends

**Author's Note:**

> In the second fic of the series, Zayn confesses to Harry when she knew she was proper in love with Liam. How when Danny broke up with her, he dropped everything to comfort her. This is that outtake. They're still in Uni. Pre Elsa. A few years before the first fic but after If Anything I'm Restless.

Time seemed to become meaningless once Zayn stepped into her art studio. It wasn’t hers in that she owned it, she had to share it with the other art majors, but they had a time share programme and for that four hours every Friday afternoon it was hers and hers alone. As long as it wasn’t scheduled for private work, she could go in any time and work, but in those hours, she didn’t have to worry about anyone else being there. And she loved to take advantage of it and let go, get fully immersed into her art and forget about anything and everything that was on her mind and in her life.

The alert on her phone rang, signaling that her time was almost over for the afternoon. She put the finishing touches on the piece she was working on and gathered her supplies to take them to the sink and clean. It was tedious but at the same time soothing in it’s repetitive motions. By the time she was done cleaning and had set her painting in her allotted cupboard to dry, she gathered her things and headed towards the flat she shared with Niall. Louis and Harry had a two bedroom they shared with Harry’s roommate from residence in the same building, everyone was surprised when Nick had agreed to find a place with them seeing the amount of time they’d sexiled him from their room in previous years. Nick had argued emphatically that he could do worse than Harry and his menace of an impish girlfriend and he’d rather the devil he knew than the devil he didn’t.

No one corrected him when he’d referred to Louis as the devil in this situation. She’d taken it to mean a challenge. Zayn thought Nick deserved a medal putting up with her two best friends. 

Liam, on the other hand, had gotten a flat across town with his own roommate from residence, Andy. Everyone had argued with him that the flat was too far away from theirs, but sometimes if things got too stressful in their building, it was a safe haven for them to escape across town where they could have time and space to get away from everything and everyone for a bit. Checking her watch, Zayn saw that it was nearly six thirty. She was meeting Danny at seven and if she didn’t hurry up, she was going to be late. She was in and out of the shower, dressed for her date and kissing Niall on the cheek by seven fifteen. He was working that night and promised he’d see her in the morning. Zayn sent a text off to Danny to apologize and tell him she was on her way.

It was after eight by the time she arrived at the restaurant, her mouth curled into an apologetic smile as she slid into her seat across from where he sat, a beer sweating in his hand. “I’m so sorry babe, got …”

“Caught up in the studio,” Danny finished with her, voice flat. “I figured.”

Zayn moved to open her mouth, a hurt expression in her eyes and her cheeks pink with a blush. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re always sorry,” he said shortly. “It never stops you from being late though.”

“If you know I’m going to be late, why not just be late too?” Zayn flashed him a sexy smirk and pulled her hair so it was over her left shoulder and showed off the shaved side of her head. She reached across the table to take Danny’s hand, disappointed when he pulled it away.

“Because I respect you, Zee. Because when we make a date for seven, I make sure I’m here for seven.” The appearance of the waiter at their table interrupted Danny’s rant and Zayn focused her attention on him for a moment.

“Guiness and a plate of chips please,” Zayn said softly. Danny ordered causing the waiter to leave them alone with an uncomfortable silence. “I’m sorry Danny, it won’t happen again.”

“Oh, I know it won’t,” he responded cryptically, eyes focused on something across the room. Zayn looked off in the opposite direction, unsure of how to deal with the tension at the table. 

“Is everything okay Dee? Did something happen today?” She asked. “You know I’m here if you want to talk about it.” Zayn watched Danny give her a forced smile before he took a deep breath and let the tension out of his body.

“Sorry, just stressed out. A lot on my mind, babe.” Danny reached across the table and took her hands in his this time. He gave them a gentle squeeze and the smile went from forced to genuine. “We’ll talk about it later okay? I don’t want to ruin dinner.”

Zayn allowed herself to relax, ignoring the discomfort that the night had put upon them. When her Guiness and his new drink were placed in front of them, Zayn fell into comfortable conversation with her boyfriend. They’d been dating for just over seven months, friends for much longer since they’d met at a keg party that Niall had taken her to the year before. The more they got to know each other, the closer they got and neither could deny the attraction that they’d felt for each other and had taken the next step to dating. He wasn’t Liam, but he made her happy and Zayn was willing to accept that. 

After dinner, Zayn had expected them to go out somewhere, perhaps a show or to listen to music somewhere. It was only nine thirty by this time and Danny suggested they go back to Zayn’s to finish that talk they’d started. She wanted nothing more than to help him with whatever seemed to be bothering him. Throughout dinner she caught him a few times looking off with an unreadable expression on his face and she couldn’t help but wonder what was so serious that he couldn’t talk about it over dinner with her. They rarely kept anything a secret from each other.

“Do you want tea?” Zayn asked as they arrived at the flat. 

“Go ahead, I’m fine,” Danny responded distractedly. “Where’s Horan?”

“Working til close. Won’t be home til one or two.” Zayn said with a smirk. She set the kettle on to boil water and strode purposefully across the kitchen to press against Danny in front of the counter. She leaned in to kiss him playfully, surprised when he stepped away from her. 

“Zee, not now.”

Zayn knew instantly something was wrong. Never once had Danny turned her advances down, especially when they had the apartment to themselves. “What’s wrong?” She asked as she lowered down to her flat feet. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively, judging from the expression on Danny’s face, she didn’t think she was going to like this conversation.

“Let’s go sit down, “ he suggested. His tone of voice had Zayn raising her hackles. She shook her head. 

“No, if you have something to say we can do it in here. Standing.”

“You’re very selfish, you know that Zayn?” Danny’s words were frustrated, anger lacing his tone. “It’s always what you want, what you think. You don’t care about anyone but yourself and I’m sick of it. I thought I could get past it, but … I can’t.”

Zayn shrunk in on herself, tightening her grip on herself. “Don’t hold back babe, tell me how you really feel!”

“You think this is a joke?” He asked, ignoring the way she shook her head. “You just don’t get it, and you never will because you don’t care. You only care about yourself and it’s not worth it. YOU’RE not worth it. Do you realize you’ve never been on time for our Friday night dates. Never. You’re always too busy with your life, your friends. And I don’t matter. And what’s worse, is that you don’t even care.”

Zayn refused to let the tears fall down her cheeks while he was there. Instead, she bit the inside of her lip to focus on that pain rather than the pain ripping her chest apart.

“You don’t care because you know how beautiful you are. You know that it’s your secret weapon and people will overlook how ugly you are inside because you’re so beautiful outside. So you don’t have to be a nice person. You don’t have to care about anyone but yourself because stupid blokes like me will just keep on putting up with it because of how you look.”

“I get it,” Zayn’s voice was controlled, her eyes narrowed. “You’ve made your point.”

“I haven’t even begun to make my point Zee,” Danny spat angrily. “But you won’t change. You’ll just infect everyone with this ugly disease you have inside of you and keep blaming it on everyone but yourself.”

“You can leave now,” Zayn walked across the kitchen and to the flat door. She opened it and waited for him to follow her. When he did, she averted her eyes so she didn’t have to look at him. She couldn’t bear to look at him.

“You really should thank me Zayn,” Danny said lightly. “It was time someone told you.”

“You’re a fucking twat, Danny.” Zayn sneered at him. She then afforded him a look and gave him a sickly sweet smile. “It was time someone told you.” Before he could speak she slammed the door in his face.

Zayn barely made it to the kitchen to turn the kettle which was boiling off and to the couch before she collapsed and started to cry. She let the tears stream down her face and the sobs wrack her chest for the hateful words he spat at her and the way she could tell he believed them. She let it overwhelm her if not for the fact that he’d struck a nerve and as much as she didn’t want to let his words affect her, she couldn’t help but not.

Zayn grabbed her phone. Through her tears she found Louis’ contact and sent her a text. “Danny just dumped me. Was a right cunt about it. Need you.”

Ten minutes later, her phone began to ring and Zayn was surprised to see Leeyum illuminated on her screen. She took a few seconds to try and stop crying before she answered. “Lo?”

“Zee, you home? I’m on my way over.” Liam sounded worried.

“What’s up?” she asked as she rubbed at her tears. “Everything okay?”

“You tell me? I just got your text about Danny, I’m on my way over.”

Zayn swore as she pulled her phone from her ear. “Hold on Leeyum,” she said as she flipped through her apps to her messages folder. Just as he’d said, she must have been trembling more than she thought when she’d texted Louis because she had indeed sent it to Liam. “Fuck, I’m sorry babe. I meant to send that to Lou. You’re probably on a date or something. You don’t need to come. I’m okay.”

Liam’s breathy chuckle sent a wave of excitement through her body. “Too late babe, I’ve already told Soph that we’re done for the night. I’ll call her tomorrow. Or whatever. I’m on my way.”

“Soph? You two on again?”

Liam groaned. “For now. Who the fuck knows. We’re not talking about my fucked up relationships, we’re talking about yours. Get the movies ready. See you soon.”

Zayn headed into her bedroom and slipped into a pair of capri jogging pants and her Loki tee shirt. She took her contacts out and slid her thick frame glasses on her face once she’d fully washed her face to take off the makeup she’d donned for her date. Her hair was in a messy pony tail and she was curled up on the couch when she heard a few sharp raps on the door and Liam’s face pop through the entrance.

“Delivery!” He said with a grin when he entered. The scent of spicy Indian wafted through the room and Zayn felt her stomach grumble. He placed the take out bags on the coffee table as he headed into the kitchen. He returned with two of their wine glasses and handed them to Zayn.

“Vindaloo AND wine Leeyum?” Zayn begun to cry as Liam filled her wine glass the tears streaming down her face.

“Oh no, babe,” Liam pulled the glass from her hand and placed it on the table in front of them. Before she could protest, he pulled her in and curled her against his side as he held her tight. “Get it out love, get it out now so we can enjoy the rest of the night.”

She started to speak, her words garbled by her tears and the fabric of his tee shirt where her face was pressed against his chest.

“Shhhh, babe.” Liam soothed softly, rocking them both back and forth. “Let’s have some curry and wine and you can tell me what a cunt Danny is.”

Just the sound of Liam cursing had Zayn giggling. They ate directly out of their containers, stopping only to take large gulps of the wine which they finished a lot faster than they had expected. Like a magician, Liam pulled a second from his bag and opened that, pouring another healthy glass for them both. As they ate, Zayn steeled herself to recount her conversation with Danny. She was proud at how strong her voice was, how she only had to stop twice to take a drink of wine and a deep breath before continuing. She watched Liam listen intently beside her, his hand curling into a fist every so often as his jaw tightened.

“He better hope he doesn’t run into me or Nialler,” Liam warned with a growl. Zayn was finished eating and she’d curled her feet up under herself. 

“Niall doesn’t even know, only you do,” Zayn said softly.

“He will.” Liam promised. He looked up at Zayn and tugged her so that she was curled up with him, tucked under his arm. They sat in silence for a little while watching the first movie of their superhero marathon. It was Liam who spoke first. “You know he’s wrong right?”

Zayn shrugged one shoulder as she ignored Liam’s inquisitive gaze.

“Zee?”

“He’s not wrong, is he? I am selfish. I get lost in myself and my own shit and I forget everything and everyone around me.”

“Fuck that,” Liam sounded mad. Zayn looked up to see him staring down at her, fury in his eyes. “That’s not the same thing. He was saying it to be a prick. We all get lost in our own shit, that doesn’t give him any right to use it against you.”

“Li,” Zayn felt her eyes welling up at the memory from earlier that night. How pleased Danny looked at the reaction his words were getting. How someone who she’d felt she was friends with beyond anything else, could hurt her so easily, so effortlessly. “I just … we were friends and even he couldn’t stand to be with me. Maybe he’s right, maybe I’m just not meant to be loved.”

“How can you even think that? You are so loved, by everyone who knows you Zee. I love you. Niall loves you, hell you know how often he says he can’t live without you, how you mean the world to him. And Lou and Haz? You can’t say you’re unlovable because it’s not true.”

Zayn opened her mouth, embarrassed when a choked off moan escaped. She wiped at her eyes and let Liam pull her into a comforting embrace, pulling her down so that they were laying together on the couch, chest to chest. 

“Plus,” Liam started, chuckling. “You can’t take anything he says seriously he wouldn’t know beauty if it kicked him in the dick. The twat didn’t know the difference between Marvel and DC. Remember when we went to see Avengers and he wondered where Batman was?”

Zayn giggled into Liam’s chest and let her body relax into him. 

“You’re beautiful Zee. He knew you were too good for him, that he didn’t deserve you and he couldn’t compete. So he had to put you down so he could feel like a man.” Liam pressed a kiss to the top of Zayn’s head. “Plus, he probably has a small cock.”

Zayn looked up and burst into drunken laughter. “No, it was alright. Average size I guess. Didn’t really know what he was doing with it. Stuck it in and thought that was good enough.”

“See, he did you a favour. No one deserves an average cock with no ability to use it. Probably never made you come.”

“Even had to fake it a few times just to end it so he’d go to sleep,” Zayn admitted. Got of meself with my bullet”

“Doesn’t know the difference between Marvel and DC. Average cock. Never made you come. Probably sub par at oral. I say tomorrow, you call him and thank him. Hell, maybe Niall and I won’t beat the crap out of him. Probably already knows what a waste of space he is. Let his next girlfriend deal with him. We’ll send her a card. Sorry about your new boy. Good luck, get a vibe.”

They both began to cackle and for the first time that night Zayn felt herself truly relax. She knew Liam was right, knew that Danny was just filling a void. He was temporary, and if he didn’t end it now, she would have done it eventually. When their laughter finally tapered off, Zayn closed her eyes and snuggled into Liam’s embrace.

“Thanks Leeyum,” Zayn whispered softly. “I meant to text Lou, but I’m glad I got you instead.”

“Me too babe,” Liam answered with a kiss to the crown of her head. “Any time you need me, I’ll be here. Nothing is more important than you, okay?”

Zayn nodded. “Thanks, Li. Love you.” She felt herself start to drift off, the stress of the night and the wine making her tired. She felt his fingers card through her hair slowly, comforting. 

“Love you to Zee. Always will.”

It was like that Niall found his two best friends when he came home. The Avengers DVD Menu playing on the screen, Liam and Zayn breathing softly, bodies entwined. He covered them with a blanket and cleaned their take out containers and wine bottles. He knew he needed to talk to Zayn in the morning. Liam had texted him when he was on his way to the flat, letting him know that Zayn and Danny had broken up and she was upset. Niall felt happy knowing she wouldn’t be alone, that Liam would be there to take care of her. He’d get the story from them and decide whether or not he’d have to pay Zayn’s ex-boyfriend a visit. Liam mentioned she’d been crying when he had called. And no one made Zayn cry and got away with it.

Once he’d cleaned up and made sure they were okay, Niall headed to his bedroom. He gave them one last glance and smiled at the picture they made. How comfortable they both were, despite being cramped on their sofa. He wasn’t glad that Zayn had gotten hurt, but hadn’t liked Danny dating her and hoped that this was going to be enough for Liam and Zayn to finally confess their feelings for each other.


End file.
